No the MacBook Air is dead I want something else

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macrumors 604

Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has just released a new report stating that:

The new laptop will look similar to the current MacBook Air, but will include thinner bezels around the screen. The display, which will remain about 13-inches, will be a higher-resolution "Retina" version that Apple uses on other products, the people said.

If Apple do this and rather than remove the Air, adding a Retina display and reducing the bezels will you buy one? And what do you think about Apple doing this?

Personally I think it’s a great idea, a Retina display in the MacBook Air and thinner bezels will make it look more modern, add that to a cheaper price point and I think it will be very popular indeed.

macrumors regular

Retina
Quad-core
12+ hour battery life
Same old keyboard
USB, HDMI, Thunderbolt Ports, Magsafe
Same old Air chassis.
No touch bar.
No oversized touchpad.

My dream laptop.

I'll believe it when I see it. If Apple does this, it'd be superior to the Macbook Pro lineup in every way except raw CPU and GPU power which I'm fine with because I'm not a video/photo editing professional.

Sad thing is, Apple is very capable of making this machine (and even better) but decided to focus on gimmicks like the butterfly keyboard and touch bar and the pursuit of unnecessary thinness - things that people simply didn't ask for and didn't want.

macrumors 65816

Retina
Quad-core
12+ hour battery life
Same old keyboard
USB, HDMI, Thunderbolt Ports, Magsafe
Same old Air chassis.
No touch bar.
No oversized touchpad.

My dream laptop.

I'll believe it when I see it. If Apple does this, it'd be superior to the Macbook Pro lineup in every way except raw CPU and GPU power which I'm fine with because I'm not a video/photo editing professional.

Sad thing is, Apple is very capable of making this machine (and even better) but decided to focus on gimmicks like the butterfly keyboard and touch bar and the pursuit of unnecessary thinness - things that people simply didn't ask for and didn't want.

No way in hell it will be a quad-core. Maybe the other stuff, yeah, but definitely no quad-core. You want quad-core? You're going to have to pay to play and go out and buy you a 2018 MBP. It's all about product positioning and maximizing profits. The new 2018 Air is targeted at students and other budged-minded minions. No need for a quad-core there. None at all. Zero. So toss that dream in the garbage disposal right now. Again, and I want you to say it slowly and loudly...If you want a quad-core, you're going to have to PAY TO PLAY! Sell blood. Have a garage sale. Get a second job. Pay, pay and keep on paying. That's the Apple way!

macrumors regular

No way in hell it will be a quad-core. Maybe the other stuff, yeah, but definitely no quad-core. You want quad-core? You're going to have to pay to play and go out and buy you a 2018 MBP. It's all about product positioning and maximizing profits. The new 2018 Air is targeted at students and other budged-minded minions. No need for a quad-core there. None at all. Zero. So toss that dream in the garbage disposal right now. Again, and I want you to say it slowly and loudly...If you want a quad-core, you're going to have to PAY TO PLAY! Sell blood. Have a garage sale. Get a second job. Pay, pay and keep on paying. That's the Apple way!

You’re probably right because the nTB mbp was confusingly not upgraded to the six core.

However, it’d be a joke that Apple won’t upgrade to a quad core given that the air has had dual core for 10 years and that six cores are the new quad cores and quad cores are the new dual cores. I think they’ll at least make it an optional upgrade which is okay to me.

I disagree that students don’t need a quad core. Everyone has 20 tabs open and streaming netflix at the same time. Websites are also far more demanding than before due to the abundance of client side JavaScript.

macrumors regular

Processor: Apple will probably be careful what they put into this new Air because of their product positioning, they'll want to clearly differentiate between the Air, 12" and Pro. For that reason, I can't see the Air having a Quad Core option, it'll be a low end 8th gen dual core, and probably in the same speed/GHz neighbourhood as the current Air, 1.6-1.8. I would be surprised if they even added an option to upgrade to an i7 this time. When they release the new Air, we'll probably also see the 12" receive the 8 gen upgrade otherwise it may hurt the 12" since it'll be the new MacBook that lag's behind.

Screen: The Retina they use will most likely NOT have P3 DCI Color, unless they also plan on upgrading the 12" to P3. Right now, the Pro having the P3 DCI display differentiates it from the MacBook 12", but once the Air get's upgrade, I think Apple will want to differentiate BOTH the 12" and Pro from the Air.

Keyboard: The new Air will most likely adopt the 3rd Gen Butterfly keyboard. The keyboard isn't something so awesome and unique that it IS the thing separating the Air from the Pro and 12", and Apple probably wants to make it standard across it's devices. Including the iMac's. Unless I'm wrong, I also don't think it's cheaper for them to maintain the current keyboard in the Air. Then again... Apple may keep the old keyboard in the Air to make the product positioning between the Air and the rest of the line clear, but I don't think it'll be for cost.

Ports: Magsafe is gone, and it'll be replaced with USB-C on the new Air, something Apple clearly wants to push and make standard throughout it's product lines, and now that other products are being updated this year. For this reason also, we probably won't see any other ports. Think about it logically... they won't add HDMI and USB-A just because people still want those. IF Apple listened to the demands of their Pro customer's, they would have stuck those 2 ports on the Pro notebooks already, so they certainly won't be added to the new Air. The Air is about Cost savings for both the consumer and Apple, so USB-C is my guess all we'll see on the new Air. Now how Many is another thing... no more then 2 for sure, but again, we may see the 12" upgraded with 2 ports if that happens, or in reverse the 12" will get 2, and the Air being value will only see 1.

Storage: 128GB default base IMO. Yes I know 128GB is weak in 2018, but for the market the Air is designed for; School/University, and those looking just to get into OSX, it's enough, and they'll probably add an option for 256GB max.

Everyone wants to see the Air updated with a fast 8th gen cpu, upgrade options like 512/1tb of storage, Retina screen, slim bezels, SD Card Reader, and same keyboard, but then what separates this from the Pro and 12"... Remember this is going to be a "Value" or "Educational" Mac, much like that old Education iMac back in the day.
Apple wouldn't upgrade this new Air to 8th Gen, Retina, same keyboard everyone loves, an SD Card slot, because it'll then most likely be used by many for Pro work... and they want you to buy their Pro line for that. This is a low cost, not overly powerful new "Air" and if you need faster and more power & options, the 12" and the Pro line await.

What the original Air laptop was is gone, and it's been replaced with the 12", and when more power is needed the 13" Pro awaits. The Air's target market will now be "Value" and "Educational" which is a bit surprising they are keeping the name apparently, and not changing it something like eMacbook, again like that old Education iMac back in the day.

That's usually the way it works with Apple. I am sure they will also do away with the SD card reader and add USB-C. If they cheap out with TB 2 and USB 3, I'm outta here.
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Processor: Apple will probably be careful what they put into this new Air because of their product positioning, they'll want to clearly differentiate between the Air, 12" and Pro. For that reason, I can't see the Air having a Quad Core option, it'll be a low end 8th gen dual core, and probably in the same speed/GHz neighbourhood as the current Air, 1.6-1.8. I would be surprised if they even added an option to upgrade to an i7 this time. When they release the new Air, we'll probably also see the 12" receive the 8 gen upgrade otherwise it may hurt the 12" since it'll be the new MacBook that lag's behind.

Screen: The Retina they use will most likely NOT have P3 DCI Color, unless they also plan on upgrading the 12" to P3. Right now, the Pro having the P3 DCI display differentiates it from the MacBook 12", but once the Air get's upgrade, I think Apple will want to differentiate BOTH the 12" and Pro from the Air.

Keyboard: The new Air will most likely adopt the 3rd Gen Butterfly keyboard. The keyboard isn't something so awesome and unique that it IS the thing separating the Air from the Pro and 12", and Apple probably wants to make it standard across it's devices. Including the iMac's. Unless I'm wrong, I also don't think it's cheaper for them to maintain the current keyboard in the Air. Then again... Apple may keep the old keyboard in the Air to make the product positioning between the Air and the rest of the line clear, but I don't think it'll be for cost.

Ports: Magsafe is gone, and it'll be replaced with USB-C on the new Air, something Apple clearly wants to push and make standard throughout it's product lines, and now that other products are being updated this year. For this reason also, we probably won't see any other ports. Think about it logically... they won't add HDMI and USB-A just because people still want those. IF Apple listened to the demands of their Pro customer's, they would have stuck those 2 ports on the Pro notebooks already, so they certainly won't be added to the new Air. The Air is about Cost savings for both the consumer and Apple, so USB-C is my guess all we'll see on the new Air. Now how Many is another thing... no more then 2 for sure, but again, we may see the 12" upgraded with 2 ports if that happens, or in reverse the 12" will get 2, and the Air being value will only see 1.

Storage: 128GB default base IMO. Yes I know 128GB is weak in 2018, but for the market the Air is designed for; School/University, and those looking just to get into OSX, it's enough, and they'll probably add an option for 256GB max.

Everyone wants to see the Air updated with a fast 8th gen cpu, upgrade options like 512/1tb of storage, Retina screen, slim bezels, SD Card Reader, and same keyboard, but then what separates this from the Pro and 12"... Remember this is going to be a "Value" or "Educational" Mac, much like that old Education iMac back in the day. Apple wouldn't upgrade this new Air to 8th Gen, Retina, same keyboard everyone loves, an SD Card slot, because it'll then most likely be used by many for Pro work... and they want you to buy their Pro line for that. This is a low cost, not overly powerful new "Air" and if you need faster and more power & options, the 12" and the Pro line await.

What the original Air laptop was is gone, and it's been replaced with the 12", and when more power is needed the 13" Pro awaits. The Air's target market will now be "Value" and "Educational" which is a bit surprising they are keeping the name apparently, and not changing it something like eMacbook, again like that old Education iMac back in the day.

If they did then that would put a real monkey wrench into my planned departure from AppleWorld. If I knew how terrific the 11" MBA was going to be for me, I would've bought a maxed out version back when I bought my 2014 11"MBA.

macrumors 6502

It'll be very interesting to see how Apple positions/configures this laptop. Now that the 13" Pros have a clear performance boost, Apple can keep the consumer laptop to a dual core CPU.

Maybe the Air will retain a focus on battery life. And then they'll have 3 tiers of laptop now... a power, a ultra-portable and one for battery life/everyone else.

I'm really curious about how this pans out. I wonder how much the 'education' iPad release shows what Apple wants to do with this Mac. It seems that there will always be laptop users and tablet users... and perhaps Apple will have a basic device for those that want either.

I'm really happy with my 11" though... and I don't see it needing to be replaced anytime soon. It's still plenty fast for the music production I do, and for me I use all the USB-A ports. None of the computers are really a good replacement for this. With the i7 this is close to the 13" Pro in performance (at the time), but at a size that's still not much bigger than the MacBook. If there is a new 13" that's even smaller than the current 13" Pro with a tapered design, enough ports and more powerful than the MacBook... it would be a good replacement if this one konks out on me.

macrumors 604

It'll be very interesting to see how Apple positions/configures this laptop. Now that the 13" Pros have a clear performance boost, Apple can keep the consumer laptop to a dual core CPU.

Maybe the Air will retain a focus on battery life. And then they'll have 3 tiers of laptop now... a power, a ultra-portable and one for battery life/everyone else.

I'm really curious about how this pans out. I wonder how much the 'education' iPad release shows what Apple wants to do with this Mac. It seems that there will always be laptop users and tablet users... and perhaps Apple will have a basic device for those that want either.

I'm really happy with my 11" though... and I don't see it needing to be replaced anytime soon. It's still plenty fast for the music production I do, and for me I use all the USB-A ports. None of the computers are really a good replacement for this. With the i7 this is close to the 13" Pro in performance (at the time), but at a size that's still not much bigger than the MacBook. If there is a new 13" that's even smaller than the current 13" Pro with a tapered design, enough ports and more powerful than the MacBook... it would be a good replacement if this one konks out on me.

Yes but spec wise the Air will need to be somewhere in the middle, for example the average user wants something that's a little more faster than the 12" MacBook and probably a 13" retina screen, BUT not something as fast as the MacBook Pro. At the moment the only option for that is the very outdated Air, the thing is as well the Air has been very popular amongst students and general consumers. Introducing a new Air with retina display, reduced bezels and processors that sit somewhere between the 12" MacBook and the MacBook Pro would be VERY popular.

Let's not forget that also its the 10th anniversary of the Air this year, it would be a perfect opportunity for Apple to announce a new Air.

As someone who is in the market for a new Mac laptop later this year i'm very interested to see what Apple do with the Air. I'm one of those consumers who needs a laptop that's in-between the Air and the 12" MacBook, if Apple do what Mark Gurman has reported the Air would probably be the perfect machine for me:

13" Retina display with reduced bezels
maybe a little thinner than the old Air? - doesn't bother me tho they could keep the same thickness
more updated dual core processors
maybe the new butterfly generation 3 keyboard

That would be an instant buy for a lot of people i think, maybe add a new space grey colour as well.

macrumors 65816

Yes but spec wise the Air will need to be somewhere in the middle, for example the average user wants something that's a little more faster than the 12" MacBook and probably a 13" retina screen, BUT not something as fast as the MacBook Pro. At the moment the only option for that is the very outdated Air, the thing is as well the Air has been very popular amongst students and general consumers. Introducing a new Air with retina display, reduced bezels and processors that sit somewhere between the 12" MacBook and the MacBook Pro would be VERY popular.

Let's not forget that also its the 10th anniversary of the Air this year, it would be a perfect opportunity for Apple to announce a new Air.

As someone who is in the market for a new Mac laptop later this year i'm very interested to see what Apple do with the Air. I'm one of those consumers who needs a laptop that's in-between the Air and the 12" MacBook, if Apple do what Mark Gurman has reported the Air would probably be the perfect machine for me:

13" Retina display with reduced bezels
maybe a little thinner than the old Air? - doesn't bother me tho they could keep the same thickness
more updated dual core processors
maybe the new butterfly generation 3 keyboard

That would be an instant buy for a lot of people i think, maybe add a new space grey colour as well.

The average consumer wouldn't care, most people don't know specs in terms of specific year of processors, the dual core processors from last years MacBook Pro's would be fast enough. Also take a look at the current Air line up and you will see that they are still using dual core processors that are outdated, yet the Air still continues to sell.

macrumors 65816

My 2014 MBA is the best computer I have ever owned, and I think there is a neeed for an everyday entry level ($1,000) laptop in Apple’s lineup. The rMB and the nTB MBP don’t fit the bill. One is too much of a niche ultraportable product and the other is too expensive and a bit of an unreliable disaster.....besides, it’s confusing to try to market an entry level laptop to the masses with “Pro” in the name.

The MBA model has become synonymous with reliability and affordability........probably the most popular laptop on college campuses. I think Apple would be wise to keep the MBA name and preserve its important market position in their lineup.

BTW - my bigger dilemma is wether I even need a laptop, or do I simply just use my base iPad plus a Bluetooth keyboard. I have access to a shared family Mac desktop for occasional heavy lifting that can’t be done on the iPad....which is really rare.

macrumors 604

My 2014 MBA is the best computer I have ever owned, and I think there is a neeed for an everyday entry level ($1,000) laptop in Apple’s lineup. The rMB and the nTB MBP don’t fit the bill. One is too much of a niche ultraportable product and the other is too expensive and a bit of an unreliable disaster.....besides, it’s confusing to try to market an entry level laptop to the masses with “Pro” in the name.

The MBA model has become synonymous with reliability and affordability........probably the most popular laptop on college campuses. I think Apple would be wise to keep the MBA name and preserve its important market position in their lineup.

BTW - my bigger dilemma is wether I even need a laptop, or do I simply just use my base iPad plus a Bluetooth keyboard. I have access to a shared family Mac desktop for occasional heavy lifting that can’t be done on the iPad....which is really rare.

Agreed, I think the Air is still a great design even now. Put a Retina display inside it, thin out the bezels and we have a great consumer/general usage Mac.

The Air is still popular, people still buy them even now and I think this surprised Apple and is also one of the reasons why they might have decided to update it. If people still love it why get rid of it when you can update it and sell more of them.

macrumors newbie

looking at intel's 8th gen proc list, if they update the air to 8th gen, it will have to be a quad core, as they don't have any dual core models. the 8550 is a quad core 1.8 with a 15w tdp, compared to the 8559 that they put in the 13" pro, that has a tdp of 28w.

macrumors 6502

I don’t think Intel has released a suitable replacement for the 7th gen 15W processor in the current no-TB 13” MBP that this new laptop is most certainly replacing. The “all new” model will sport basically the same internals enclosed in a new wedge-shaped housing. Then in less than a year they’ll give it the latest dual core processor once Intel makes it available. I bought the 2016 no-TB MBP because I wanted a retina MBA and that was the closest thing to it, then they released the 2017 model just a few short months later.

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